This invention relates to tape cassettes, such as compact cassettes, micro cassettes, video cassettes, etc., which housed a magnetic tape, reel hubs, and associated parts.
A tape cassette generally comprises a pair of cassette halves coupled with each other to form a housing, and a magnetic tape wound around a pair of reel hubs and contained in the housing. Also, the tape cassette has a pair of elastic liner sheets arranged individually between their corresponding cassette halves and the magnetic tape. Thus, the magnetic tape is vertically held between the liner sheets to prevent it from being wound irregularly. For more secure prevention of the irregular winding of the magnetic tape, there has recently been provided a tape cassette in which a plurality of projections are formed on the facing surfaces of the cassette halves, and the liner sheets are interposed individually between the projections and the magnetic tape. According to this tape cassette, the liner sheets are liable to move less along the direction of the thickness of the cassette due to the existence of the projections. Thus, the magnetic tape and reel hubs can be sustained in the central portion of the cassette along its thickness, so that irregular winding of the magnetic tape can be prevented. With this cassette, however, once irregular winding of the magnetic tape is caused so that the liner sheets are pressed by the magnetic tape, the liner sheets engage the projections to be trapped thereby, and lose their elasticity. As a result, the frictional resistance between the magnetic tape and the liner sheets increases, which varies the traveling speed of the magnetic tape.
Also provided is another tape cassette in which a plurality of linear projections with arcuate edges are formed on the facing surfaces of the liner sheets, and the magnetic tape and reel hubs are elastically held between the projections. These liner sheets are in linear contact with the magnetic tape, with the edges of the projections abutting against the magnetic tape. Accordingly, the frictional resistance between the liner sheets and the magnetic tape is small, and the edges of the magnetic tape are less liable to be damaged. In this tape cassette, however, if the magnetic tape suffers irregular winding, it vibrates under a temporary high pressure when a disorderly portion of the magnetic tape touches the projections of the liner sheets. This results in wow or flutter.